Psoriasis Causes And Treatments - What Might Bring On Psoriasis And What Might Stop Them

The exact cause of Psoriasis is currently unknown. According to scientists, at least 10% of the general population may have a predisposition to psoriasis because they inherited the genes from their families. Scientists believe that only 2-3% of the population actually develops this disease. According to their studies, a person will only develop psoriasis if he or she has the genes that cause it and if he or she is exposed to certain psoriasis triggers. What are these triggers and what might end an attack of psoriasis? This article discusses these things.

Specific external factors or, the "triggers" that cause psoriasis are not universal. This means that the trigger that caused you to develop psoriasis may not affect another person.

Known Triggers of Psoriasis Are

• Stress


• Skin Injury


• Medications

Let's take a quick look at each of these individual triggers:

Stress

Stress is one of the known triggers of psoriasis. Studies have shown that stress causes psoriasis to flare up and also aggravate existing psoriasis. To prevent stress, do some meditation and relaxation. Regular aerobic exercise also helps reduce stress and promotes relaxation.

Skin Injury

Skin injury can also trigger psoriasis. Traumatized or injured areas of the skin are common areas where psoriasis occurs. This phenomenon is called the Koebner phenomenon. Scratches, sunburns, and vaccinations are some of the triggers that cause the Koebner phenomenon. If caught early, a Koebner response can be treated easily.

Medications

Certain medications can also trigger a psoriasis attack. Some of these medications are:

• Lithium - used to treat psychiatric disorders such as manic depression. Those who take lithium medications report that it aggravates their psoriasis.


• Antimalarials - hydroxychloroquine, chloroquine, quinacrine, and plaquenil are antimalarials that can cause psoriasis to flare up. The flare ups usually occur two to three weeks after taking the drug. Hydroxychloroquine is believed to be the safest of them all because it has a lower incidence of causing these side effects.


• Inderal - this is a medication for blood pressure that aggravates psoriasis in about 25% to 35% of psoriasis patients who take it. It is unknown if every medications for high blood pressure can worsen psoriasis, but they could have that potential.


• Quinidine - Many have reported that this heart medication worsens some psoriasis cases.


• Indomethacin - this is an anti-inflammatory drug that is used to treat arthritis. There are reports that it can worsen some cases of psoriasis. Other anti-inflammatory drugs can be substituted if it worsens your psoriasis symptoms. The negatives effects of Indomethacin can be minimized if it is taken properly. The benefits you get from taking this drug usually outweigh the side effects.

There are other, scientifically unproven things that can trigger psoriasis attacks such as weather, diet, and allergies. Though not yet approved by the medical community, there are also other natural treatments for them that are becoming increasingly popular. Maybe someday will know how to get rid of psoriasis and prevent them from reoccurring without using medicine of any kind.